Wakefield Trinity poised to sign Hull KR's Paul Cooke on loan

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are closing in on a season-long loan move for the out-of-favour Hull Kingston Rovers stand-off Paul Cooke. The two clubs are in talks over the proposed deal, which would reunite Cooke with his former Hull FC coach John Kear. Reports have suggested that Cooke, who has been left out of Rovers' last two matches, has agreed to the deal, but it is understood that the terms of the move have not yet been finalised between the clubs. One issue could be the Super League match between the two at Craven Park on Friday, which would present Cooke with an immediate return to Rovers if he were permitted to play by his current employers. The 28-year-old made a controversial cross-city move from Hull FC to Hull KR in April 2007, a switch that eventually cost him a six-month ban when the Rugby Football League found him guilty of approaching Rovers while still under contract at the KC Stadium. He was a key figure of the Robins side that finished fourth last season, but has fallen out of favour this year, and was omitted from the recent wins against Castleford and St Helens in favour of the promising youngster Chaz I'Anson. Cooke has one year remaining on his Rovers contract and was briefly linked with a move to Welsh club the Crusaders earlier this season. Richard Silverwood, the referee at the centre of controversy during the recent World Club Challenge between Leeds and Melbourne Storm, will take charge of the Rhinos' Super League match at Huddersfield Giants on Sunday. The Leeds centre Keith Senior labelled Silverwood "arrogant" in the immediate aftermath of the game before later apologising for his comments, but will still face an RFL investigation over the matter.